7 Quality Used Drones for Sale

There’s a time to buy new and a time to consider used when it comes to quadcopter drones. I’m not talking about cheap toy flying robots here. This guide looks at the costlier feature-packed crafts equipped with cameras and gimbals. My page reviews 7 quality used drones for sale that cost a lot less than the new models. These used quadrotors are almost as good as new.

Why Not Buy a New Drone?

There are four reasons to consider secondhand drones over new ones. These are:

The brand-new version you want is out of budget

You don’t want to spend too much until you know whether you have the bug

You want a cheaper, second drone to practice your piloting skills

You want a used quadcopter for tinkering purposes and experiments

There’s good news whatever your reasons. Places like Amazon, eBay, and even manufacturers websites have used and refurbished quads for sale. Online shopping from reputable sites is safer than local classifieds because they have guarantees. There’s little comeback if you buy something from a boot sale that falls to bits or malfunctions just days later.

What to Look for and Watch Out For

It’s important to know what to look for and what to watch out for when buying used drones. Vigilance is especially crucial when you buy from someone in the bricks & mortar world. Private sellers can easily disappear after a sale. Even if they don’t—and something goes wrong—there’s no recourse if the product was “sold as seen” as most private sales are.

Take Your Time

A little knowledge can go a long way when buying secondhand camera quadcopters. There should be photos of the product at online stores. Knowing how to inspect the drone and what questions to ask helps you to make the best-informed decisions. Get someone to assist if you’re in any doubt.

What to look for at a glance (inspecting the quadcopter or other UAV):

Look for chips, scratches, and missing bits (including the controller)

Ask how old the product is if not stated, and get flight logs if possible

How old is the battery, how much use has it had?

Anything else that pertains to a particular model

You get the idea. Add any other inspections that matter to you. If the buyer says the product is “as good as new” and you notice chips and scratches, well, it’s time to move on. My advice is to go for certified refurbished quadcopters if possible as they provide the safest way to buy used.

Buying Refurbished Drones Online

Refurbished means restored or renewed—usually in a professional capacity. Refurbished drones can save you a lot of money compared to a new product. A refurbished DJI drone—as an example—can be almost as good as new from the inside out. Drones refurbished by the manufacturer are by far the best choices. You can identify them quickly as the product reads “Certified Refurbished” by “Brand.”

The manufacturers clean, fix, perform multiple tests, and tweak these drones to perfection. There are some drawbacks, though. The refurbished quadcopter might look brand new and fly like a bird, but it’s still used. That means you can never be too sure of its lifespan. Furthermore, a secondhand drone is going to have a limited warranty compared to a new model. Some may not even have guarantees.

Despite all this, quality used camera quads and racing drones are a bargain when you shop smart.

About this Guide

This guide is for anyone who wants to explore quality used quadcopters online. The ones here are all popular drones from across the spectrum, and much cheaper than new models. All products are Certified Refurbished in keeping with my recommendations in the introduction. These are drones that have stood the test of time and earned their place in the quadcopter’s virtual hall of fame.

Each mini-review highlights the drone’s main attractions and capabilities. There’s a simple three-column table at the end of each piece that lists the key specs, pros, and any cons. The used quadcopters on this page are not only the result of my opinions. I also took the thoughts of industry experts and the feedback of real users into consideration before making this list.

Below are the drones in the order they appear in the guide. The top three are Best Budget, Best Value, and the Top Pick. The ones under those are in price order starting with the least expensive first.

The Certified Refurbished FPV Parrot Mambo is an excellent choice for an entry-level racer. It comes with a 90-day warranty too. It may not sound much, but three months is plenty of time to put your FPV quadcopter through its paces. The Parrot Mambo has plenty of fun features packed in despite its low cost. And the high-tech sensors do an excellent job of keeping the drone steady in the air.

This capable quadcopter makes a brilliant training drone. It’s one to consider if you want to practice fancy acrobatics like flips and barrel rolls, etc. Best of all is that you can use the FREEFlight Mini app to control this puppy. You can also use the new FlyPad remote controller and race this bird in First Person View (FPV) from 200 feet. The package includes a VR headset.

The Not So Good

The Parrot Mambo FPV Racer has a limited flight time of only 10 minutes at best. There is some good news, though, and that is the super-fast 30-minute charging time. Don’t expect too much from the camera. The footage is perfectly viewable, but it’s not going to win you any awards on the quality front. Still, this is an entry-level racing quad when all’s said and done.

A final gripe is with synchronizing the drone to smartphones and tablets. You can do it, but prepare for a little frustration along the way as some users find it a bit hit and miss at times.

Plus points: Easy-to-fly for entry-level pilots, long flight time, long range, fast charging

Minus points: No obstacle avoidance; landing equipment could be better

It’s fair to say that the Autel Robotics Orange X-star Premium has become a favorite drone for many. They used to call it a DJI clone, but it’s proved a worthy contender by itself. These beauties come with Ultra-HD 4K video cameras and fast-release 3-axis gimbals. The Starpoint Positioning System (SPS) is remarkable. SPS accurately measures the quadcopter’s height and optically tracks its exact location.

The X-star Premium is easy to fly despite its feature-packed sophistication and flight modes. It checks many of the right boxes and excellent value is just one of them. The 25-minute flight time is on the high side of average, as is the 90-minute battery charging. The 1.2-mile range is another plus point.

The Not So Good

It’s a shame there’s no obstacle avoidance (OA) with this quality quadcopter. Even some cheaper, toy-grade models have an avoidance system of sorts, so it’s a significant gripe. Still, having no OA does make better pilots, so it’s not all bad. The other downside is the poor landing gear. The problem is that it has trouble keeping the drone upright when landing on uneven surfaces.

Portable quadcopters don’t get much smarter than the DJI Mavic Pro Mini. And the Certified Refurbished models offer incredible value for money. The savings made on this favorite camera quad is a great help to folks on tighter budgets. The Mavic Pro Mini is an easy to pilot aircraft too. It also comes equipped with an obstacle avoidance system so that users can fly with more confidence.

The Mavic Pro Mini is a drone for enthusiasts of aerial photography and 4k videography. Its foldable design makes it especially ideal for travel bloggers and vloggers on a mission. It’s ready to fly at a moment’s notice thanks to the hand launching, gesture controls, and precision hover. The range—via controller—is an incredible 4.3 mi (6.9 km), and the flight time around 30 minutes.

The Not So Good

Obstacle avoidance is a welcome feature on any drone, but it’s not all equal. The DJI Mavic Pro Mini Drone only has sensors located at the bottom and front of the craft. That leaves it vulnerable at the sides and back. It’s something to be mindful of when flying this gorgeous little camera quad. There are no protective guards for the props either, so you may want to buy a set if you pick this drone.

Not all used drones are certified refurbished—some are secondhand, private sales sold-as-seen. The MJX B2C Bugs camera drones here have gone through full functionality tests and professional cleaning. They’re then given a thorough inspection, repackaged, and put up for sale with a 30-day warranty.

This 1080p high-res camera quad is a solid entry-level drone. It’s feature-packed yet not overwhelming to master at the beginner level. The maintenance-free, powerful brushless motors are more reliable and last longer than brushed options. The drone has a bunch of useful modes that are welcome at any level, especially for learner pilots. Heck, you even get a bonus battery.

Flying the Force1 MJX B2C Bugs Specter Drone

You don’t have to worry about losing the MJX B2C Bugs thanks to the three return-to-home features. You can call it back to base from as far away as 500 meters from the controller. There’s also low-power and low-signal return. The drone’s easy flight modes include one-button takeoff/landing, headless mode, and altitude hold. The flight time is around 15 minutes, and the max range 0.6 miles.

The Not So Good

The MJX B2C only transmits a signal from the quad to the controller. That means—despite the camera—there’s no First Person View (FPV) capability. And some users find the calibration hard to figure out. The instruction manual is also vague, so YouTube is perhaps the best place for guidance.

The Spark Fly More Combo (Alpine White) comes with a DJI quality guarantee. These refurbished units are almost as good as new and should last a long time with proper care. This mini quad has four Intelligent Flight modes, i.e., Quickshot, ActiveTrack, TapFly, and Gesture control. These high-tech modes use sophisticated technology but are simple to implement at any level.

The Spark’s palm launching is handy (pun intended) for when you need to react fast. The high-performance gimbal stabilized camera shoots impressive aerial stills and shake-free video. You also get to choose from multiple shooting modes based on the situation and preferences. The Spark Mini is also FPV capable. DJI goggles provide the ultimate live FPV experience (not included).

The Not So Good

The biggest criticism with the DJI Spark Mini is that it doesn’t fold. It would be more transportable and safer to pack if foldable arms were part of its design. Another disadvantage is the low average 16-minute flight time. The good news is the refurbished unit comes with a bonus Intelligent Flight Battery. The extra battery effectively doubles the flying time to 30 minutes.

The final gripe is that this little quad makes a big noise. That’s not a major concern out in the open, but it can prove annoying close-up and personal, and especially in populated areas.

The DJI Phantom 4 Advanced is an excellent product. It’s the quadcopter of choice for many enthusiastic aerial photographers and videographers. You should expect to save at least 200 dollars with a high-quality refurbished unit. These are the quads that shoot many of those captivating videos seen on places like YouTube.

A long flight time and the 4.3-mile range create plenty of opportunities not possible on lesser models. The 1-inch 20MP CMOS sensor guarantees high-quality stills and breathtaking 4K video from above. The Phantom 4’s Intelligent Flight Modes add further to the excitement of this capable quad.

Intelligent features include ActiveTrack, Draw, Return-to-Home, TapFly, and Gesture control. The drone also has a forward obstacle avoidance to reduce the risk of accidental crashes and collisions.

The Not So Good

There’s little to gripe about with the Phantom 4 Advanced. The only significant downside is that it doesn’t have rear sensors. The front-facing obstacle avoidance is better than nothing, but to have side and rear sensors would’ve been even better. It seems that DJI reserved their front/rear/side OA exclusively for the Phantom 4 Pro. Fewer sensors do strengthen one’s piloting skills, though.

These refurbished Inspire 1 V2.0’s are RTF 3-axis gimbal stabilized camera quads. They’re sure to meet the needs and expectations of prosumers and commercial users. The Inspire 1 V2.0 isn’t a big bird. Even so, it is a powerful quadcopter capable of high-quality aerial photography and videography. It’s easy to fly as well despite the sophistication of DJI’s advanced technologies.

Flying the DJI Inspire 1 V2.0

All it takes is a simple screen tap to auto-launch and land this incredible camera drone. The quad is also capable of dual operation, but you’d need an extra controller for that. What this does is allow one pilot to concentrate on the flight while the other user focusses on the camera. The craft’s integrated Flight Control System has a bunch of intelligent features which include semi-automatic flying modes.

The dedicated DJI controller has GPS to ensure the Inspire always knows the return-to-home path. The built-in VPS or Vision Positioning System is there for when a GPS signal isn’t. Everything about this model oozes quality and ease of control. Flight time is a good average at 18 minutes, and the range a respectable 1.2 miles. The Intelligent TB47 flight battery takes around 80 minutes to charge.

The DJI Lightbridge HD support is also worth a mention as is the retractable landing gear. The top speed of 49 mph is another valuable feature that gets you to where you’re heading—and back—faster.

The Not So Good

The price is the only major drawback to the DJI Inspire 1 V2.0. It’s a bargain if you make money from aerial photography and mapping etc. Alas, it’s a costly quad if you don’t, even as a refurbished unit.

Disclosure: 3D Insider is a participant in the Amazon Affiliate Program. We may earn money from your clicks, at no extra cost for you. We are also affiliates of numerous other programs. Outbound clicks may earn the site money. We may get compensated in other ways too. Please read our Privacy Policy.